The Labyrinth of Fate
by Lazuli Quetzal
Summary: AU. A twelve-year-old Leo Valdez on the run takes a wrong turn and ends up in Daedalus's Labyrinth. Will he be able to navigate it - and most importantly, will he make it out alive? (Canon pairings. Takes place during BotL.)
1. Into the Labyrinth

**DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN PJatO OR HoO! ANY CHARACTERS/DIALOGUE/PLOTS YOU RECOGNIZE BELONG TO RICK RIORDAN. I AM A FOURTEEN YEAR OLD GIRL PLAYING WITH FANFICTION.**

**Title: The Labyrinth of Fate**

**Author: Lazuli Quetzal**

**Summary: A twelve-year-old Leo Valdez on the run takes a wrong turn and ends up in the Labyrinth. Will he be able to navigate the deadly maze, and most importantly, will he make it out alive?**

**Canon Pairings!**

**A/N: Just me messing with my thoughts.**

* * *

If there was one thing Leo was sure of, it was that his life sucked.

See, normal people have normal problems - like, stressing out over the next math test. Or maybe some lame drama between a friend's girlfriend's enemy or something like that.

Leo's problems involve climbing down into a sewer in the middle of the night in order to not get caught by the authorities.

It's not like he committed any crimes. It was that he had ran away from another foster home. If he got caught, they'd just stick him in with another family. And he'd be 'the new freak' all over again.

Leo was shaken out of his thoughts. He had to keep moving.

Leo grunted as he lifted the manhole cover. Though he'd had a lot of practice, he still struggled to move the cover. Finally he shoved it out of the way and stared down into the darkness.

The sticky scent of the underground wafted up and Leo reached into his pocket to grab the flashlight he had... Borrowed.

He climbed into the hole and dragged the manhole cover back over the hole. Then he switched on the flashlight and started his journey.

* * *

For the next two hours, Leo heard nothing but the footsteps he'd made and the sound of his own breathing. He occasionally checked his homemade compass to make sure he was headed in the right direction. He'd decided to head west - if he could make it far enough, maybe he could be some sort of entertainer in Vegas, although he doubted that would ever happen.

Suddenly, Leo tensed. Something in the air had changed, though he wasn't sure what. He shut off the flashlight and glanced around.

_Something's watching me, _he thought.

"Hello?" He whispered. "Anyone there?"

His whisper was loud to his ears. Leo thought he heard the distinct sound of breathing, although he was holding his breath.

He shrugged off the feeling and walked down the tunnel. It wasn't long before he reached a fork in the road.

Leo turned on the flashlight again, so he could check his compass, but froze when he realized he wasn't alone.

In front of him was the weirdest sight ever. Three ladies dressed in old style cotton dress were sitting in a semicircle. The looked impossibly old - ancient, like an Egyptian mummy or something, and the strangest thing of all was that they were _knitting._ The two on the sides were knitting bright orange socks, while the one in the middle was watching the thread.

"Um, hello?" Leo asked tentatively. "Er... Need any help? Directions out of the sewer, perhaps?"

They didn't answer. Leo gulped.

Suddenly, the middle one's heat shot up. Her eyes were eerie - a milky blue film covered her irises, as if she were blind, but Leo got the feeling that she could see perfectly fine.

"_Fate," _she said. _"A new fate - new path." _Her voice was like nails.

Leo wanted to run, but his feet were frozen. His legs were like lead.

In the midst of his fear, Leo could see the two ancients on the sides unraveling their work. The top half of the sock disappeared, and then, as quick as lightning, a new pattern took its place. What was once a zig-zag pattern was now a strange, loopy tangle of orange and red.

What did it mean?

"_New path," _the middle one spoke. "_Choose wisely, hero._"

Leo blinked, and the old ladies were gone.

"What the heck?" He yelped. "I'm hallucinating. Holy crap -"

Leo's voice was suddenly drowned out by a deafening roar, followed by the sound of pounding - as if a herd of elephants were rampaging through the sewers.

Leo turned around, and his eyes widened when he saw the scariest sight he'd ever seen.

Its body was covered in thick, dark scales. Its mouth was filled with row upon row of razor sharp teeth. Drops of saliva dripped out of its mouth, making a hiss when it hit the ground.

Leo made the mistake of looking into its glowing red eyes, which were so terrifying, he froze.

The monster tensed, as if getting ready to pounce, and Leo could not move. He would die, alone, in a Texan sewer, with no one to hear his final words -

"_Choose,_" the old lady's voice said. "_CHOOSE._"

Upon hearing the old lady's voice, Leo unfroze and leaped out of the way of the pouncing monster. He stumbled to his feet and looked around for an exit.

There were two paths leading out. Leo made a split second decision and turned right.

He sprinted down the tunnel, with the monster right at his heels. Leo followed the winding path, dodging monster spit and barely leaping out of the way of its terrible claws. Nothing like a monster chase to motivate you to run.

Leo could feel his body heating up. It happened anytime he was scared or excited - but he stomped it down and tried to keep control.

Leo took another sharp turn and managed to sprint a good distance away from the monster. He kept running forward and - BAM.

Leo slammed into a wall. He looked up - somewhere along the way, he had taken a wrong turn, and now it was a dead end.

He turned and saw the monster stalking towards him, and in his panic, started to bang his fists against the wall. His sleeves were smoking and his shirt singed, but he didn't care.

"SOMEBODY SAVE ME!" He screamed. "I'M ABOUT TO GET EATEN! HELP!"

His fist hit a small scratch, and to his astonishment, the tiny scratch turned into a glowing triangle. There was a grinding noise, and a small opening appeared out of nowhere - too small for the monster, but just large enough that Leo could crawl through.

Not one to question his good luck, Leo scrambled through the door and sprinted down the new tunnel, the monster's roars growing quieter and quieter as Leo ran farther away.

It wasn't long before Leo had to take a break. He'd been sprinting non-stop for a long while, and soon, he was sitting down, leaning against a wall. His eyes were closed as he took deep breaths to calm his breathing.

After two or three minutes, Leo opened his eyes - and blinked again.

Where was he? Fifteen minutes ago, he'd been in a sewer. Now, the walls were ancient mosaics. Leo stood up and examined the mosaics.

"Roman, maybe Greek," he muttered. "Where am I?"

Leo pulled out his compass and checked the direction. The needle was spinning rapidly.

Leo tucked it back into his pocket. He was officially lost. He kicked a pebble and continued walking, glancing at the walls to see if they would change again.

"Hey, old ladies," he said out loud. "Um, I dunno if y'all are real... But maybe you can, y'know, gimme directions?"

There was silence.

"No? Okay, then..."

Leo trailed off. He could hear hissing noises up ahead.

He brightened. Maybe it was a gas leak. Which meant someone was up ahead, who could give directions.

_Or maybe it's another monster,_ a different part of his brain said. _Maybe if you head over there, you'll get eaten._

Leo headed over there anyways. He poked his head around the corner, then pulled it back.

In the quick glance he'd had, he'd recognized two semi-humanoid creatures - covered in scales and dressed in this weird, ancient armor. The scariest thing? Instead of legs, they had two snake trunks.

Leo began to creep away, hoping he wouldn't make a sound, but froze when their started talking.

"Wait, ssisssster," a voice hissed. "I ssssmell ssssssomething." Leo could hear her sniffing the air.

"Half-blood," another voice hissed.

The two monsters slithered around the corner, and Leo could feel his arms heat up.

"Well, well, another presssssent for the hossst."

"I'm not a present," Leo grinned. "I'm the greatest entertainment there ever is!" He waved his hands a little, in a '_ta-da'_ gesture.

The monster's eyes narrowed.

Okay, Plan A failed. Time for Plan B.

Leo turned and ran down the tunnel, but he was blocked by another snake lady.

He gulped. How did she get there so fast?

Leo glanced down at his hands. There was a Plan C, but Leo was reluctant to use it.

He glanced up again. The snake lady's spear was pointed at his chest.

"Handsssss where I can ssssee them, _demigod_," She hissed, spitting out the last word. She tilted her head and gave a cold smile. "You sssay you are good entertainment. That'sss exactly what we need."

* * *

The first thing Leo noticed was the the skulls. He'd been forced into this Colosseum-style arena. The floor was dirt, and in the center, Leo could make out a fight happening between a massive... Thing, and another humanoid snake woman. All around were stone benches, each packed with monsters, and the occasional human face.

Leo wondered what human would associate with these things.

But on top of all of that, there were skulls - lining the railing, piled up at the benches, hanging on the hooks dangling from the ceiling. Some were bleached white. Others looked a little fresher. The smell was way worse than the sewer he'd been in a few hours ago.

Off to the side, a sea-green banner with a shimmering trident shone, amidst the rotten skulls and creepy monsters. Above that were two people - a normal looking human with an angry red scar running down his face, and a fat giant with a dirty loincloth. The giant was huge - fifteen feet tall at least, and something about him reminded Leo of a sumo wrestler.

What had he gotten himself into?

The snake woman that was keeping him captive whispered something to another monster, which went up to the human and said something to him. The human's eyes landed on Leo.

_Definitely not a good sign,_ Leo thought.

Leo turned his attention to the fight. The snake woman jabbed a spear and cornered the thing. She turned to the giant, who frowned and gave a thumbs down.

The snake woman stabbed the spear down and the crowd erupted into cheers as the thing disintegrated into dust.

Something told Leo that was going to be his fate.

"We have a new demigod," the human announced, his eyes focused on Leo "A challenger! An unknown. If he wants to join the Titan's army, he must compete in a fight to the death."

_What the heck?_ Leo thought. _These people are crazy!_

The snake woman pushed him forwards, and Leo was roughly shoved into the arena.

"Wait!" He yelped. "I didn't sign up for this! I want a lawyer!"

The crowed laughed. A strange creature tossed a bronze knife into Leo's hands and he was alone, in the center of the arena.

"A fight to the death?" Leo asked, his knees shaking.

The snake woman who had beaten the previous contestant slithered into the arena.

"Ohh, thisss will be easssy," She hissed and smiled a cold smile.

"Begin!" The giant shouted.

Leo dove to the side to avoid the monster's strike. The crowd was cheering for their champion.

Leo barely blocked another strike from the snake lady. He leaped out of her way, but tripped on her snake legs.

The snake lady threw a net onto him, and Leo frantically cut the ropes with the dagger.

She raised her spear to stab him, but Leo managed to wriggle out of the way. He stumbled to his feet, the net still tangled around his legs.

The snake lady lunged again, this time giving Leo a good sized cut on his left arm. His arm exploded in pain.

Leo clenched his dagger and breathed deeply. He could feel his body temperature heating up again. When he glanced down at his torn jeans, he could see the edges smoking.

_Maybe its time for Plan C,_ he thought. _But maybe I should keep it hidden, hide my strengths until I need them..._

He willed the fire to to the palm that was holding the knife. The feeling was strange, as if his hand was numb and just waking up again. Then the small flames appeared. Leo could see them flickering in between his knuckles. The snake woman didn't notice.

Leo continued dodging and rolling out of the way of her attacks. He needed the knife to heat up. Bronze was an okay conductor of heat, so Leo hoped he wouldn't have to wait too long.

The crowd began to boo. It had been nearly five minutes, and only a small cut had occurred.

"STAND AND FIGHT, COWARD!" The giant yelled. Leo got the feeling he wasn't talking to the snake.

Before long, the metal knife was starting to glow. The snake lady didn't notice. Her only goal was to take Leo out.

Leo glanced at the red-hot knife in his hand. It was time.

The snake lady lunged again. Leo leaped to the left and scrambled to his feet. Before she could turn around, Leo tackled her from behind, ignoring the snakes' tails whipping his back.

He held the knife under her throat, and he could smell the scent of burning flesh as the knife dug into her throat.

Out of the corner of his eye, Leo could see the giant give a thumbs down. Leo closed his eyes and cut.

The snake lady disintegrated. Leo's arms were shaking, and it took all his concentration to not drop the knife.

Leo tried to calm his breathing.

How did he do that? Where did he find the strength to tackle a snake woman? He was never the strongest kid.

And why did it feel so normal?

The giant lifted his arms, and the crowd quieted down.

"Nothing I haven't seen before," He spoke. "What else do you have, Luke, Son of Hermes?"

_Son of Hermes?_ Leo thought. _What the heck?_

"Lord Antaeus," the Luke guy said, his voice loud enough for the crowd to hear. "You have been an excellent host! We would be happy to amuse you, to repay the favor of passing through your territory."

"A favor I have not yet granted," the Antaeus guy growled. "I want entertainment!"

Luke bowed to the giant. "I believe I have something better than _dracaenae _and centaurs to fight in your arena now. I have a brother of yours." Luke pointed to this other guy in the midst of other normal-looking people, being held captive by the snake women. "Percy Jackson, son of Poseidon."

Leo glanced between the Percy kid, who looked no older than fourteen, and Antaeus. He couldn't see the family resemblance.

"A son of Poseidon? Then he should fight well! Or die well!"

"If his death pleases you, will you let our armies cross your territory?"

"Perhaps!"

The Luke guy looked pretty annoyed at the perhaps. Leo began to run through what he knew of the situation in his head.

a) Luke wanted to go somewhere.

b) This Antaeus dude demanded entertainment to let him pass.

c) Leo was probably going to die in this arena.

All in all, it was the worst situation Leo could be in. Did he mention his life sucked?

"Luke!" A blonde girl yelled. "Stop this! Let us go!"

Luke seemed stunned. "Annabeth?"

_Perhaps they're related?_ Leo thought.

"Enough time for the females to fight afterward. Percy Jackson, what weapon will you choose?"

"How can you be a son of Poseidon?" He asked, defiantly.

Leo flinched. He'd recognized that tone - every time he had a stupid teacher, he would talk back in that same way. But this wasn't a teacher. This was a monster.

"I am his favorite son! Behold, my temple to the Earthshaker, built from the skulls of all those I've killed in his name! Your skull shall join them!" Antaeus boomed.

"Percy!" The girl yelled. "His mother is Gaea! Gae-" A scary looking monster clamped her mouth shut.

At the name Gaea, Leo froze. That name sent a chill down his spine, giving him bad vibes. Gaea, the embodiement of the earth... A face of dirt, like one night long ago...

Leo threw the thought out of his mind. He needed to focus on staying alive. He could angst later.

"You're crazy, Antaeus," the Percy guy said. "If you think this is a good tribute, you know nothing about Poseidon."

Leo couldn't help but admire his bravery, but he also thought the Percy guy would get himself killed.

"Weapons," Antaeus said. "And then we will see how you die. Axes? Shields? Nets? Flamethrowers?"

Leo looked up at the word flamethrowers. That would definitely be useful.

"Just my sword," Percy said. Leo thought he was crazy for refusing the flamethrower, but the monsters looked nervous when his bronze sword appeared. Maybe he had killed a lot of them with that sword.

Great. Leo was fighting with a professional.

Percy was unceremoniously shoved up to the arena. He lifted an eyebrow, and Leo was a little offended that he didn't seem like decent competition.

However, Leo felt a strange wave of déjà vu, as if he'd met Percy before. Without warning, the old lady's voice flashed into his head. _A new fate - new path_.

Leo shook that thought out of his head. He'd never met this guy, not in this lifetime.

"Who are you?" Percy asked.

"Um, Leo Valdez?" Leo replied, his sentence turning into a nervous question.

"Why are you doing this?" Percy demanded.

"I don't know, dude!" Leo said. "I was running away from home when this monster thing started chasing me, and then those snake things kidnapped me and forced me to fight to the death!"

Percy's eyes narrowed. "You mean, you don't know? About any of this?"

"No!" Leo felt like yelling. "What the heck is a demigod? They keep calling me that. And why in the world are all these monsters just living underground? You'd think someone would notice!"

Percy's eyes widened. He glanced back to where his friends were being held. "I think I can get both of us here out alive," he said. "But you'll have to trust me. Okay, Leo?"

Leo looked around at the monsters who'd ruined his day, and the creepy Luke guy who was willing to let Leo die just so he could go somewhere.

Percy was the first person who was sort of nice. And that redhead he was with was pretty cute.

"Alright. Better than the monsters. What do I do?"

"Put up a fight, but let me win. I promise I won't kill you." Percy said.

Leo shrugged. He had nothing to lose.

Percy lunged at him, and Leo sidestepped. This kid was _fast_.

"I thought you wouldn't kill me!" Leo hissed.

"We gotta make it look convincing," Percy replied.

They had a fake fight, Leo blocking the strikes and occasionally lashing out with his own. One time, he accidentally gave Percy a small slice on his leg.

"Sorry, dude!" Leo said.

Percy replied by tripping him and knocking the dagger away from Leo.

Percy's expression was disturbing. It was fierce. Leo could see how this kid scared the monsters. It wasn't hard to imagine him disemboweling a row of monsters with nothing but his sword.

But then Percy gave him a little smile, so Leo knew he was safe. For now.

Antaeus game a thumbs down, but Percy put his sword away. He held out his hand and helped Leo up.

"No one dishonors the games!" Antaeus bellowed. "Your heads shall both be tributes to Poseidon!"

Percy muttered, "When you see your chance, run." Leo nodded.

"Why don't you fight me yourself? If you've got Dad's favor, come down here and prove it!"

Leo gave Percy a horrified look. He was challenging the giant dude?

"I know what I'm doing," Percy tried to reassure him.

"I'm surprised you haven't been killed yet," Leo muttered.

"I am the greatest wrestler in the world, boy," Antaeus growled. "I have been wrestling since the first _pankration_!"

Leo had no idea what that was, but he assumed it meant some sort of fight.

Leo saw Percy look to his friends. The redhead's eyes were wide with panic. The blonde was shaking her head, her mouth still covered by the monster guarding them.

"Winner takes all! I win, we all go free. You win, we die. Swear upon the River Styx."

It was official. This kid was definitely crazy.

"This shouldn't take long," Antaeus said with a chuckle. "I swear to your terms!"

Leo backed away as Antaeus leaped down into the arena. The groud cracked under his weight.

"Good luck, psycho," Leo said.

Percy clenched his sword.

"Weapons?" Antaeus asked.

"I'll stick with my sword. You?"

Antaeus wriggled his fingers and gave a wicked smile. "I don't need anything else! Master Luke, you will referee this one."

The Luke guy gave a cold smile. "With pleasure."

Leo watched as Antaeus lunged at Percy, who ducked and rolled under the giant's legs and stabbed him in the thigh.

"Argggh!" Antaeus yelled. But instead of blood flowing from the wound, a spout of sand came out. It rolled around his leg, like a bandage. When the dirt fell away, the wound was healed.

Antaeus charged again, but Percy dodged and stabbed him under his arms.

Leo was fairly certain Antaeus would die, but instead, he turned around, Percy's sword being wrenched out of his arms.

"No!" Leo cried out.

Sand spouted out of the wound. Antaeus pulled the sword out and tossed it away, and when the sand spilled away, his wound was gone.

"Now you see why I never lose, demigod!" Antaeus gloated. "Come here and let me crush you. I'll make it quick!"

Leo saw Percy and the blonde girl exchange a glance. Maybe he was saying goodbye.

Percy tried to circle around and retrieve his sword, but Antaeus blocked his path.

Leo's eyes flitted to where the sword lay - wait. The sword was gone. Leo could see Percy pat his pocket, and have a sort of smug look in his eyes.

_He must have summoned his sword, or something_, Leo thought.

Suddenly, Percy charged the giant. He crouched, as if he would roll underneath Antaeus, but at the last moment, he jumped - scrambling up Antaeus' arm and standing on his head.

"What the heck?" Leo yelped.

Antaeus straightened up and yelled "HEY!"

Percy pushed off and grabbed onto a chain dangling from the ceiling of the arena. He began wrapping the chains around and sawed off another chain with his sword,

Leo was severely confused, but the blonde chick's eyes were shining with triumph.

"Come down here, coward!" Antaeus bellowed. He jumped up, trying to grab Percy, but he failed.

Leo let loose a chuckle. It was the weirdest sight - a giant sumo wrestler leaping up an down like a kid trying to catch a butterfly.

Percy took his sawed-off chain and managed to snag Antaeus' loincloth. He secured the chain and left Antaeus hanging from his choice of clothing.

Percy began to swing around and loop chains around the giant. Slowly, Leo realized what he was doing.

Soon, Antaeus was tangled up in the chains, suspended above the ground.

Percy dropped to the floor, panting and sweaty.

"Get me down!" The giant demanded.

"Free him!" The Luke guy ordered. "He is our host!"

Percy pulled out his sword. "I'll free him," he growled.

Percy stabbed the giant in the stomach, and sand began to pour out like a waterfall. Antaeus flailed about, but he could not reach the ground and soon he had completely dissolved.

Leo cheered and Percy cracked a tired smile.

"Jackson!" Luke growled. "I should have killed you long ago!"

"You tried," Percy said flippantly. "Let us go, Luke, We had a sworn agreement with Antaeus. I'm the winner."

Luke clenched his fist, "Antaeus is dead. His oath dies with him. But since I'm feeling merciful today, I'll have you killed quickly."

Leo's celebrating came to a halt.

Luke pointed at Annabeth. "Spare the girl. I would speak to her before - before our grat triumph."

Leo looked around nervously as every monster in the arena armed themselves.

"I hope you have a plan for this, Percy," Leo muttered.

Percy's eyes widened, as if he just remembered something. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a whistle made of ice. He blew.

The whistle made no sound, and the ice shattered.

Luke laughed. "What was that supposed to do?"

Leo's eyes widened as a giant dog, easily as large as a car, smashed the giant holding Percy's friends and tossed a cheerleader into the stands. The monsters were caught by surprise.

"Let's go!" Percy yelled. "Heel, Mrs. O'Leary!"

"The far exit!" Yelled the redhead. "That's the right way!"

Percy and his friends ran off, and Leo ran after them.

Behind, Leo could hear the frustrated roars of an entire monster army ready to follow.

* * *

**A/N: So what do you think? I realize a lot of the dialogue is from BotL, but hey, it's just me messing with my thoughts and trying to pass the time until House of Hades.**

**This is all I have so far - I'm just posting it to see if anyone is interested in this story. I do have the general plot laid out in my head, but I definitely don't have the details down, since I'm just sorta playing around with the plot.**

**If you like it, let me know with a review and I'll see what I can do with the next chapter!**

**-Lazuli Quetzal**


	2. Quest: FAILED

******DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN PJatO OR HoO! ANY CHARACTERS/DIALOGUE/PLOTS YOU RECOGNIZE BELONG TO RICK RIORDAN. I AM A FOURTEEN YEAR OLD GIRL PLAYING WITH FANFICTION.**

**A/N: Thanks for all the lovely reviews, guys! I have decided to continue this story! *cheering in the distance* Sorry for a late update. This story will be updated randomly, with long intervals between chapters**, **because, well, school :P**

**Sorry about that. Hope you enjoy this chapter!**

* * *

For the second time that day (or night, depending on how you look at it), Leo was running for his life.

He was already tired. Before his nighttime escape, he had only gotten an hour and a half of sleep. He entered the sewers at around 10:30 PM, and had been wide awake and partaking in strenuous activity for at least four hours since then.

"This way!" the redhead yelled.

"Why should we follow you?" The blonde demanded. "You led us straight into that death trap!"

"It was the way you needed to go, and so is this. Come one!"

Leo was already falling behind the group. He had no idea how Percy, who had just wrestled with a giant, was keeping pace at the front of the pack.

"Wait... for... me..." Leo wheezed.

The blonde rolled her eyes and roughly grabbed his arm. She dragged him through the maze.

Leo had no idea which direction they were going, or why the redhead seemed to have the layout memorized in her head. She dodged obstacles and didn't even seem to hesitate when there was a fork in the road.

At one point, Leo would've had his head chopped off by the huge, swinging axe; but the blonde yanked him down.

Leo was grateful. He would've hated to lose his gorgeous face.

Finally, they reached a large room, about the size of a gymnasium. The roof was supported by marble columns. The group stopped to rest.

Leo was panting and breathing hard. A sudden thought occurred to him: the car-sized dog was gone.

"You... dog... sword..." Leo managed to choke out. "What the heck is going on? Who are you people?"

"Half-bloods," Percy said smoothly, as if he hadn't run a marathon.

The blonde girl glared at Leo. Leo was instantly fearful. Her gaze was as scary as any monster.

"Why were you over there? Trying to join up with the wrong side?" She demanded.

"Calm down, Annabeth," Percy said. "He was kidnapped. He doesn't know about all this. I'll explain."

Percy turned to Leo. "News flash buddy: the Greek gods are real."

Leo waited for him to start laughing, or for one of the girls to giggle, but all of them were totally poker-faced.

Leo bit back a sarcastic remark. This was ridiculous. He was probably having a crazy dream. These people are lunatics.

_No_, a different part said inside. _It's real_.

Once again, Leo had that strange sense of déjà vu. A scene flashed through his mind.

_He was on a bridge, made of glass. Leo looked around. Down below, a river cut through a deep canyon._

_Next to him were two people - a tall guy that reminded him of a blond Superman, and a tanned girl with choppy hair._

_"He called us... what, demigods?" The girl said._

_"Don't know what demi means, but I'm not feeling too godly. You guys feeling godly?"_

"Dude, you feeling alright? You spaced out for a second."

Leo blinked. If he didn't know any better, he would've said that was a memory. But he was certain he'd never met those people in his life.

"I'm... fine. So, Greek gods are real and alive. I'm half-god. Why am I in this maze? What is it in myth? The Labyrinth?"

The blonde girl studied him. "You're taking this awfully well."

"Makes more sense than the rest of my life," Leo joked. Then he turned to the redhead. "You a demigod too?"

She grinned. "Nope, 100% mortal." She held out her hand to shake. "Rachel Dare."

"Leo Valdez," he said, shaking her hand.

"Look, this meet-and-greet is touching, but we should probably start setting up camp for the night. Leo, you can stick with us. Afterwards we can take you to Camp Half-Blood - it's a safe place for people like us., Percy said.

Camp Half-Blood. The name made Leo feel happy, though he didn't know why.

* * *

Leo awkwardly sat on the floor as he watched Percy and Annabeth struggle with lighting the fire.

Percy struck a steel stick against a chunk of flint. Annabeth rolled her eyes.

"You're doing it wrong, Seaweed Brain." She grabbed the pieces and used them correctly. A couple of sparks flew out, but didn't catch.

"Let me try," Leo said.

Without waiting for their reply, he took the firestarting kit. He was slightly tempted to use his fire-power, but the thought made him nervous.

Leo struck the flint against the steel and got the fire to start in less than thirty seconds.

The other three were staring at him in astonishment.

"Fire's my... specialty," he said in monotone. G'night."

He rolled over and faced away from the group.

As he was falling asleep, he heard the other three talking. He thought he heard an argument, but by then he was already asleep.

* * *

"Wake up!" Someone was shaking him by the shoulders.

"Whaa...?" Leo blinked a few times and propped himself up. Three blurry figures appeared in front of him.

"Earthquake!"

Leo was suddenly wide awake. He patted his sweater pocket - he had his compass and the flashlight with him. Then he got to his feet and ran after his friends.

When they were a few feet away from the far tunnel, the marble columns began to buckle. They barely made it out when the room collapsed behind them. A cloud of white dust surrounded the group, and Leo nearly tripped when he coughed.

"You know what?" Annabeth said. "I like this way after all."

Leo wanted to tell her to shut up, but he was still coughing from the dust cloud.

At some point, the stone corridors turned into stainless steel hallways,the kind in space ships in the movies. The floor was a metal grate, as if they were on a submarine or a boat, and the place was lit with fluorescent lighting. After being in the dark so long, Leo had to blink several times before being able to see normally.

"This way," Rachel said. Her eyes flashed excitedly. "We're close!"

Annabeth, who seemed inclined to disagree with everything Rachel said or did, disagreed. "His workshop should be in the oldest part of the maze! This can't -"

Annabeth faltered. In front of her was a set of metal double doors. Engraved in the steel was a large blue triangle.

"What exactly does the triangle mean?" Leo asked. "I've seen it before, when I entered the maze place."

"It's the Mark of Daedalus," Annabeth breathed out. "A Greek letter - Delta."

Percy seemed hesitant, as if he were recalling something unpleasant about this particular area.

"Daedalus's workshop," Rachel announced. "Let's go."

* * *

Annabeth gently pressed on the blue mark, and the doors slid open.

Percy snickered. "So much for ancient architecture."

Annabeth scowled, but walked through the door.

There was no other word to describe it but genius. The first thing Leo noticed was the chair - a bronze chair with a bunch of wires coming out of it. Next to it was a large metal 'egg', with various Greek symbols and a few dials decorating the outside. Farther back was a beautiful glass grandfather clock, with all the gears visible. And even better, blueprints and half-finished inventions littered the tables all around the workshop.

Leo was in heaven.

He ignored the conversation the other three had going and rushed towards the chair. He studied the wire arrangement and admired the craftsmanship. Something caught his notice.

Leo fingered a wire - it was the only wire that had a plug on one end. He circled the chair and found a panel on the back. Carefully, he lifted out the panel and studied the inside.

There was a generator, which confused Leo. Why would the chair need to generate power?

_Unless..._ he thought. Leo glanced at the plug. It's a charger. It's charging something.

In Leo's mind, the only logical thing the chair would charge was a human-shaped automaton.

Leo was immediately on guard. What if that Daedalus guy had an automaton army? What if he didn't want them messing with his stuff?

Out of the corner of his eye, Leo could see Percy looking out the window.

"Where are we?" Percy muttered.

"Colorado Springs," a new voice answered. "The Garden of the Gods."

Leo whipped his head around so fast some of his hair got into his mouth.

At the top of the stairs behind him was an older man, with short gray hair and a neatly trimmed beard. He was wearing the same style shirt that Percy and Annabeth had, although his wasn't as dirty.

Judging by the way Annabeth and Percy were glaring at the guy, he had already met them. Leo absently noted the dark gray eyes and instead focused his attention on the man's arm. There was something off about him... Something not quite human...

"You!" Annabeth hissed. "What have you done with Daedalus?"

The man's expression looked somewhere between amusement and bitterness. "Trust me, you don't want to meet him."

"Look Mr. Traitor," Annabeth growled. "I didn't fight a dragon woman and a three-bodied man and a psychotic Sphinx to see you! Now, where is DAEDALUS?"

The man let out a quiet chuckle and descended the stairs. He paused at the bottom and studied their faces.

When his eyes landed on Leo, he seemed confused, but he was still wearing that annoying smile.

"You think I'm an agent of Kronos," He said, finally. "That I work for Luke."

"Well, duh."

The man's amused smile turned sad, almost wistful. "You're an intelligent girl... But you're wrong. I work only for myself."

"Luke mentioned you," Percy spoke up. "Geryon knew about you, too. You've been to his ranch."

"Of course. I've been almost everywhere. Even here." The man breezed past the group and stared out the window.

Leo had no idea what they were talking about, but he knew something was off with the guy.

"The view changes from day to day," the man mused. "It's always someplace high up. Yesterday it was a skyscraper, overlooking Manhattan. The day before that - a beautiful view of Lake Michigan. But it keeps coming back to the Garden of the Gods. I think the Labyrinth likes it here. A fitting name, I suppose." He sighed.

"You've been here before," Percy said,

"Oh, yes."

"That's an illusion out there? A projection or something?" Percy asked.

"No," Rachel said quietly. "It's real. We're really in Colorado."

That made absolutely no sense to Leo. As far as he knew, there was absolutely no way to walk (or run, he supposed) from Texas to Colorado in a day. But here he was.

"You have clear vision, don't you?" said the man. "You remind me of another mortal girl I once knew. Another princess who came to grief."

The man looked lost in memories. Leo was confused. The man definitely did not look old enough to be around in the days of princesses and kings. Unless it was a metaphor? Or unless he was talking about the English royalty, but...

Leo's eyes flitted to an ancient-looking scroll. Blueprints, for an automaton. Leo did not know how to read Greek, but somehow his mind translated one Greek word on the scroll: magic.

Something clicked in Leo's head.

"Enough games," Percy said. "What have you done with Daedalus?"

"My boy, you need lessons from your friends on seeing clearly. I am Daedalus."

* * *

Leo's mouth opened of its own accord. "You can't be Daedalus because you're an automaton!"

His three new friends stared at him as if he were crazy.

He wildly gestured to the chair. "It's so obvious! This chair - it's for powering a human-shaped automaton. There are blueprints on making those on the tables. And... There's something off about him. Can't you guys feel it? The robotics?"

Leo looked back at the man claiming to be Daedalus. It felt so obvious to him. If he concentrated hard enough, he could practically see the wires underneath his skin.

The man tilted his head. "A son of Hephaestus. Good eyes, child."

"Son of _what_?"

Percy was staring at the automaton, with a horrified look on his face. "I had a dream... You... You made a new body!"

"Percy," Annabeth said. "That's not possible! That - that can't be an automaton!"

The man chuckled. "Do you know what Quintus means, my dear?"

"The fifth, in Latin. But -"

"This is my fifth body."

Leo watched, amazed as the man pressed on his elbow and a hatch on his wrist popped open. Gears whirred. Wires glowed. He whistled. "Nice workmanship."

"That's amazing!" Rachel said.

"That's weird," Percy muttered, staring at the arm uneasily.

"You found a way to transfer your animus into a machine?" Annabeth said. "That's... not normal."

"Oh, I assure you, my dear, it's still me. I'm still very much Daedalus. Our mother, Athena, makes sure I never forget that." Daedalus scowled and tugged on his collar. On his neck was a dark burn mark in the shape of a bird.

"A murderer's brand," Annabeth breathed out.

At the word murderer, Leo took a step away from Daedalus.

"For your nephew, Perdix," Percy said. "The boy you pushed off the tower."

Daedalus clenched his fists. "I did not push him. I simply -"

"Made him lose his balance. Let him die."

Daedalus stared out the window, not meeting any of their eyes. "I... I regret what I did, Percy. I was angry, and bitter... But I cannot take it back, and Athena never lets me forget. As Perdix died, she turned him into a small bird - a partridge. She branded the bird's shape onto my neck as a reminder. No matter what body I take, the brand appears on my skin."

Rachel closed her eyes, as if she was imagining the story.

"You really are Daedalus," Percy said quietly. "But - why did you come to the camp? Why spy on us?"

"To see if your camp was worth saving. Luke had given me one story. I preferred to come to my own conclusions."

"So you have talked to Luke."

"Oh yes, several times. He is quite persuasive."

Leo remembered the guy with the scar from the arena. He didn't see how he could be persuasive (he was rather bloodthirsty), but...

"Now you've seen the camp!" Annabeth said excitedly. "You know we need your help. You can't let Luke through the maze!"

Daedalus looked bitter. "The maze is no longer mine to control, Annabeth. I created it, yes. In fact, it is tied to my life force. But I have allowed it to live and grow on its own. That is the price I paid for privacy."

"Privacy from what?" Rachel asked.

"The gods. And death. I have been alive for two millennia, hiding from death."

"How can you hide from Hades? I mean, Hades has the Furies!" Percy pressed.

"They don't know everything," Daedalus said. "Or see everything. You have encountered them, Percy. You know this is true. A clever man can hide quite a long time, and I have buried myself very deep. Only my greatest enemy has kept after me, and even him I have thwarted."

"You mean Minos."

"The dude who turned stuff into gold?" Leo asked.

"Dude who had a half-bull for a son," Annabeth supplied.

_Wrong,_ Leo thought. He had always thought Greek mythology was interesting, but had other important things to worry about then. Obviously he needed to refresh his memory.

Daedalus nodded, lost in memories. "He hunts for me relentlessly. Now that he is a judge of the dead, he would like nothing better that for me to come before him so he can punish me for my crimes. After the daughters of Cocalus killed him, Minos's ghost began torturing me in my dreams. He promised he would hunt me down. I did the only thing I could. I retreated from the world completely. I descended into my Labyrinth. I decided this would be my ultimate accomplishment: I would cheat death."

"You did," Annabeth breathed out, her eyes slightly glassy. "For two thousand years."

Leo let out a low whistle. "With an automaton body. Nice work."

Rachel and Percy seemed less impressed.

Suddenly, a loud bark echoed from the corridor. Leo turned around, expecting a monster, but the big black dog that saved them earlier bounded into the workshop.

"There is my old friend!" Daedalus said, scratching it behind the ears. "My only companion all these long, lonely years."

"You let her save me," Percy said thankfully. "That whistle actually worked."

Daedalus nodded. "Of course it did, Percy. You have a good heart. And I knew Mrs. O'Leary liked you. I wanted to help you. Perhaps I - I felt guilty, as well."

Leo felt a sinking in his stomach.

"Guilty about what?" Percy demanded.

"That your quest would be in vain."

"What?" Annabeth shrieked. "But... you can still help us! You have to! Give us Ariadne's string so Luke can't get it!"

Daedalus did not meet her eyes. "The string... I - I told Luke that the eyes of a clear-sighted mortal are the best guide, but he did not trust me. He was so focused on the idea of a magic item. And the string works. Not as well as your mortal friends here, perhaps. But good enough. Good enough."

"Where is the string?" Annabeth said forcefully.

"With Luke," Daedalus said sadly. "I'm sorry, my dear. But you are several hours too late."

Leo glanced at his new friends' faces. They were shocked, afraid. The worst part was the defeat in their eyes. They couldn't save their home - the camp.

Leo suddenly got angry. He turned on Daedalus.

"Why would you give them the string? They make freaking kids fight to the death! They use monsters and... and giants and they're evil! Why would you side with them?"

"Kronos promised me freedom!" Daedalus protested weakly. "Once Hades is overthrown, he will set me over the Underworld. I will reclaim my son Icarus. I will make things right with Perdix. I will cast Minos's soul into Tartarus, and never be bothered again!"

"That's your brilliant idea?" Annabeth yelled. "You're going to let Luke destroy out camp, kill hundreds of demigods, and then attack Olympus? You're going to bring down the entire world so you can get what you want?"

"Your cause is doomed, my dear. The offer was too sweet to refuse. I'm sorry."

Annabeth yelled as she shoved an easel over. Blueprints scattered over the floor. Her eyes watered.

"I... I used to respect you. You were my hero. You -" her voice cracked. "You built amazing things, solved problems! Now... I don't know what you are. Children of Athena are supposed to be wise, not just clever. Maybe you are just a machine. You should've died two thousand years ago."

There was a pause. The only sound was Annabeth's sniffling as she tried to keep from crying.

"You should go warn your camp. Now that Luke has the string -"

"Someone's coming!" Rachel warned, looking in the direction of the corridor. Mrs. O'Leary crouched down defensively.

The doors of the workshop slid open, and a tired looking boy with dark hair was shoved into the room. His hands were in chains, and he looked no older than Leo.

Behind, a stereotypical cheerleader and two monster Leo saw earlier marched in, followed by a ghostly looking man.

The ghost fixed his gaze on Daedalus. He smiled a cold smile. "There you are, my old friend."

Daedalus clenched his jaw. He looked at the cheerleader. "What is the meaning of this?"

"Luke sends his compliments," she replied with a grin. Leo backed up when he saw her razor sharp teeth. "He thought you might like to see your old employer, Minos."

"This was not part of our agreement," Daedalus hissed.

"No indeed," the cheerleader said in a bored tone. "But we already have what we want from you, and we have, ah, other agreements to honor. Minos required something else from us, in order to turn over this fine young demigod." She ran a finger under the boy's chin. "He'll be quite useful. And all Minos asked in return was your head, old man."

Daedalus paled. "Treachery."

"Get used to it."

"Nico," Percy interjected. "Are you okay?"

The boy nodded. "I-I'm sorry, Percy. Minos told me you were in danger. He convinced me to go back into the maze."

"You were trying to help us?"

"I was tricked! He tricked all of us."

Percy shot a glare at the cheerleader. "Where's Luke? Why isn't he here?"

The cheerleader smiled. "He's... busy. He is preparing for the assault. But don't worry, we have more friends on the way. And in the meantime, I think I'll have a wonderful snack!"

Leo watched, horrified, as her hands morphed into claws. Her legs shifted - one into bronze, and the other a... donkey leg?

Rachel whispered something Leo couldn't hear, and Percy nodded.

Then he and Annabeth charged at the former-cheerleader.

The giants with them stepped forward to grab Daedalus, but the dog - Mrs. O'Leary - jumped to defend her master. The boy, Nico, was shoved to the side as the ghost cheered for the giants fighting Mrs. O'Leary.

Leo decided to be helpful. He picked up some metal bits off the easel next to him and ran over to Nico.

"Hold still," he instructed. Then he shoved the metal into the lock and began to pick it.

"Who are you?" The boy asked.

The lock clicked open, and the shackles fell to the ground. "Leo Valdez, lock-picker extraordinaire -"

Leo was interrupted by the sound of breaking glass. He looked to his right and saw a broken pot on the ground, surrounded by green flames.

"Greek fire," Nico hissed. "Not good."

"To me!" Minos cried. "Spirits of the dead!" He raised his hands and the air suddenly grew agitated.

"No!" Nico yelled. He stumbled to his feet.

"You do not control me, fool! All this time, I have been controlling you! A soul for a soul, yes, but not for your sister. It is I who will rise, as soon as I slay the inventor!"

Other ghostly figures shimmered into the air around Minos.

"I am the son of Hades," Nico insisted. "Be gone!"

"You have no power over me. I am the lord of spirits! The ghost king!"

"No," Nico said, pulling out a sword made of a strange, black metal. "I am."

He stabbed the sword into the ground as if it were a toothpick going through butter.

"Never!" Minos's form began to ripple. "I will not -"

Leo was knocked off his feet as the ground rumbled and the windows burst. A blast of fresh air blew into the workshop, and Minos and the ghosts disappeared into a large crack that appeared in the ground.

_That is extremely creepy_, Leo thought as Nico shakily stood up.

The sound of clattering drew Leo's attention. He froze.

Percy was on the ground, defenseless. Judging from his position, he had just hit his head on the table behind him. The former-cheerleader hissed in delight.

_No!_ Leo thought.

Suddenly, Annabeth yelled and stabbed her in the back with a bronze knife. The monster disintegrated.

Leo registered the sound of pounding in the tunnels - more monsters were on the way.

"We have to help Daedalus!" Percy insisted.

"No time," Rachel called back. Leo blinked. She had metal wings attached to her back, and was helping Nico with another pair of them.

In a few seconds, the five of them had metal wings.

"Daedalus!" Percy yelled. "Come on!"

Leo glanced at the inventor. He was cut everywhere - but instead of blood, golden oil leaked out.

"I won't leave Mrs. O'Leary! Go!"

Leo turned and looked out the window.

They were really high up.

"None of us know how to fly!" Nico argued.

"Great time to find out," Percy said.

And together, the five demigods leaped out the window.

* * *

**A/N: Sorry for so many book-quotes. The book quoting will likely continue until I reach the end of BotL. At that time, I shall start a story about Leo at Camp. I think it would be fun - his first impression of Camp Half-Blood being rather serious, because everyone is worried about the war.**

**I'm going to try and do some character development to Leo, and the minor characters of PJatO. That is, of course, about six or seven chapters away. In the meantime, read a revised version of BotL!**

**I hope I can give Leo a greater role in the next few chapters!**

**Suggestions? Comments? Please review!**

**-Lazuli Quetzal**


	3. Of Flying and Adventuring

**DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN PJatO OR HoO! ANY CHARACTERS/DIALOGUE/PLOTS YOU RECOGNIZE BELONG TO RICK RIORDAN. I AM A FOURTEEN YEAR OLD GIRL PLAYING WITH FANFICTION.**

**A/N: Slightly shorter chapter today, sorry. I'll try and lengthen the next one!**

**Some of you were wondering about Leo's 'flash forwards'. I'm gonna use them to get Leo into some interesting situations in between BotL and TLO, no spoilers! Just saying that they _do_ have a point.**

**Once again, sorry for the shortness, but I hope you enjoy it anyways.**

* * *

There are few things more terrifying than jumping out a burning building knowing your life depends on your ability to fly.

Leo rocketed towards the ground, headfirst. He tried to focus through his panicked mind. In theory, he knew these wings would enable him to fly, but he would rather test it first.

"Spread your arms! Keep them extended!" Annabeth yelled.

Leo obeyed, and the wings caught wind. His fall slowed. Once he wasn't panicking, he realized how awesome the view was.

Leo grinned wildly. Flying was far better in real life than in a dream.

Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Percy swooping and yelling in joy. The others spiraled through the sky, equally ecstatic.

Then he saw a column of smoke. Leo's eyes moved down slightly and he spotted the windows of Daedalus's workshop. His smile faded.

Leo wanted to fly back and check on him, but the sound of metal against metal startled him. He glanced back. The wings were not perfect - already, he was shedding metal feathers.

"Land! These wings won't last forever!" He called out frantically.

"How long?" Rachel asked.

"I don't want to find out!" Annabeth said.

Leo angled the wings and followed Annabeth, who led the five of them across a valley, over a road, and down to the terrace of the visitor center.

Leo tumbled down onto the concrete and reluctantly removed the wings. Before stuffing it in the trash can, he carefully studied the design. He knew he wanted to recreate it someday.

Leo followed the other demigods down the sidewalk, where Percy dug out a two quarters to use a tourist binocular.

"No smoke," Percy announced. "No windows - it's gone."

"The workshop moved," Annabeth guessed. "There's no telling where."

"What do we do now? How do we get back in the maze?"

Annabeth gazed at the summit of Pikes Peak. Her eyes were sad. "Maybe we can't. If Daedalus died... He said his life force was tied to the Labyrinth. The whole thing might've been destroyed. Maybe... Maybe that'll stop Luke's invasion."

Percy clenched his fist. He looked worried.

"No," Nico said, making Leo jump. "He isn't dead."

"How do you know?" Leo asked, skeptically.

"I know when people die," Nico said certainly. "It's this feeling I get, like a buzzing in my ears."

Leo snorted. "Who are you, the God of Death?"

"He's my father," Nico shot back.

Leo shut up.

"What about Tyson and Grover?" Percy asked, his voice concerned.

"That's harder. They're not humans or half-bloods. They don't have mortal souls."

"Who are they?" Leo asked.

Percy stared at the mountains, looking worried. "Friends."

"We have to get into town," Annabeth took charge. "Our chances will be better of finding an entrance to the Labyrinth. We have to make it back to camp before Luke and his army."

"We could just take a plane," Rachel suggested.

"No!" Percy said. "I - I don't fly."

"You just did," Rachel pointed out.

"That was low flying, and even that's risky, Flying up really high - that's Zeus's territory. I can't do it."

Leo wondered what Percy did to make the Lord of the Sky angry.

"Besides," Percy continued. "We don't have time for a flight. The Labyrinth is the quickest way back."

"So we need a car to take us into the city," Annabeth said.

Rachel looked into the parking lot and grimaced. "I'll take care of it."

Annabeth raised an eyebrow. "How?"

"Just... Trust me."

Annabeth looked about to protest, but nodded. "Okay, I'm going to buy a prism in the gift shop, try to make a rainbow, and send an Iris-message to camp."

"I'll go with you," Nico said. "I'm hungry."

"Me too," Leo said.

"I'll stick with Rachel, then," Percy said. "Meet you guys in the parking lot."

Leo didn't miss the way Rachel frowned, or the way Annabeth clenched her fists so tightly they turned white.

Rachel walked off, Percy behind her. Leo turned and followed Annabeth and Nico to the gift shop.

"So, what's an Iris message?" Leo asked conversationally.

Nico shot him a confused look. "Don't you know...?"

"Dude, I'm new at this whole demigod thing. Help a bro out?"

"Iris is the goddess of the rainbow, the messenger for the gods," Nico replied.

"Isn't that Herman? Or Hermes?"

"Hermes is usually too busy, unless it's super important," Annabeth said, as if she'd met him herself. "And Iris is easier to send for. Wait and see."

They walked into the gift shop. The cashier, who was reading a novel, lifted an eyebrow. "You kids have any parents?"

"Tired," Annabeth lied smoothly. "We went hiking. They're letting us buy a souvenir."

The cashier went back to the novel.

"Buy a snack or something," Annabeth said, handing them two crumpled five-dollar bills from her backpack.

Annabeth walked off to grab a prism. Nico and Leo went and got a bag of chips each from the vending machine.

Once Annabeth bought the prism, they went outside. Nico held the prism up so it made a rainbow on the ground, and Annabeth pulled out a solid gold coin.

She tossed it into the rainbow, and Leo gasped as it disappeared.

"O Iris, goddess of the rainbow, accept my offering," Annabeth said. "Show me Chiron, at Camp Half-Blood."

The rainbow shimmered, and Leo watched, fascinated as a face appeared. A middle-aged man was sitting at a table, looking worried.

"Chiron!" Annabeth said, her voice happy.

He looked up. "Annabeth! Where are you, are you okay?" The man looked at Nico and Leo, slightly confused. "Why...?"

"We're safe," Annabeth said. "Chiron, meet Leo. We found him in the Labyrinth. Leo, this is my mentor, Chiron."

Leo waved awkwardly.

"We also found Nico," Annabeth said, "He, um, helped us out a few times."

Chiron nodded. "Do you have the string?"

Annabeth gulped and didn't meet Chiron's eyes. "No. We... We were too late. Quintus -"

"Quintus?" Chiron said, looking worried.

"He's actually Daedalus in disguise. Long story. Luke got to him first, and..." Annabeth trailed off.

Chiron got the message. "I will warn the campers."

"Chiron, I'm so sorry -"

"Do not fret, Annabeth," he said. "Come back safely. Good luck."

Chiron set down his cards and waved his hands. The image disappeared.

"Let's go," Annabeth said.

They met up with Rachel and Percy in the parking lot.

"I talked to Chiron," Annabeth said. "They're doing their best to prepare for battle, but he still wants us back. They're going to need every hero they can get. Did we find a ride?"

"The driver's ready when we are," Rachel replied. "Come on."

She led them to a fancy Lexus and walked right in. Leo noticed a man in a suit arguing with a hiker-guy. He wondered what that was about.

Leo settled into the car and looked about in wonder. The seats were leather, and the chairs had those mini TV's built into the headrests. Even better, the mini fridge was stocked with water, soda, and snacks.

Percy and Leo raided the food.

"Where to, Miss Dare?" the driver asked.

"I'm not sure yet, Robert," she said. "We just need to drive through town and, uh, look around."

"Whatever you say, miss."

"Do you know this guy?" Percy asked Rachel.

"No."

"But he dropped everything to help you. Why?"

"Keep your eyes peeled and help me look," Rachel said, ignoring the question.

They drove around for about an hour, finding no entrances, when suddenly Rachel sat up.

"Get off the highway!"

"Miss?"

"I saw something, I think. Get off here."

The driver swerved and took the exit. Leo looked around, confused. There was nothing around but hills and farm buildings.

"What did you see?" Percy asked.

"Western Museum of Mining & Industry."

Leo looked out the window and stared at the museum - a rusty collection of drills, pumps, and old steam shovels. It looked pretty small, and Leo didn't see anything suggesting an entrance into a labyrinth.

Then again, he was running through a Texan sewer and ended up in Colorado, so anything was possible.

"There," Rachel pointed into a hole in the side of a hill. "An old mine entrance."

"A door to the Labyrinth?" Annabeth was skeptical. "How can you be sure?"

"Look at it!" Rachel gestured to the museum. "I mean... I can see it, okay?"

Leo wasn't sure how the whole mortal-navigating-the-maze worked, but Rachel had saved their lives, so he trusted her.

The car stopped. The five of them exited the car, but the driver looked Rachel in the eye.

"Are you sure you'll be all right, Miss Dare? I'd be happy to call your -"

"No!" Rachel panicked. "No, really. Thanks, Robert. But we're fine."

The car left. Leo pulled out the water bottle he nicked from the fridge and took a long gulp.

"Seriously, Leo?" Rachel said.

"I was thirsty," Leo protested, but he put the water bottle in his pocket.

The museum was close, so there was no one around as the five climbed up to the tunnel Rachel had seen.

Once there, Leo noticed the blue triangle - the Mark of Daedalus - engraved on the lock.

"That's small," Leo commented. "You must have 20/20 vision, Miss Dare."

"Don't call me that," Rachel muttered.

Percy touched the lock and the chains fell. He kicked down a few boards and walked into the Labyrinth. Leo looked up at the sky one last time before following them into the tunnel.

* * *

The first two hours were surprisingly uneventful. Rachel and Annabeth started up a conversation about architecture while Percy, Nico, and Leo lagged behind. They walked for a few hundred feet before Leo made an attempt at conversation.

"So," Leo said uncomfortably. "How long have you been doing this whole 'demigod' thing?"

"Three summers," Percy said.

"And you?" Leo turned to Nico.

Nico shifted uncomfortably. "About half a year, I guess."

"Are all of our lives this crazy?" Leo asked.

"Nah," Percy said. "I'm the first child of the Big Three in about seventy years. There's a whole prophecy and everything. All my friends kinda got roped into my adventures."

Leo noted how Percy didn't mention Nico being the son of Hades.

"Big Three," Leo mused. "Zeus, Poseidon, Hades?"

"You might not want to use names all the time," Nico warned. "Names have power."

"Okay, cool," Leo said casually. "Any other rules?"

"Don't get killed," Nico replied.

Leo was really not liking Nico's tone of voice.

Percy frowned too. "That's what you were after all along, huh? Trading Daedalus's soul for your sister's."

Nico wet his lips with his tongue. "Minos was right, in a way. Daedalus should die. Nobody should be able to avoid death that long. It's not natural."

Leo personally thought it was pretty cool, especially with that automaton body, but he didn't speak up. It was another fifty yards before any of the guys said anything.

"It hasn't been easy, you know. Having only the dead for company. Knowing that I'll never be accepted by the living. Only the dead respect me, and they only do that out of fear," Nico said bitterly.

"You could be accepted," Percy insisted. "You could have friends at camp."

Nico looked up. "Do you really believe that, Percy?"

Percy looked speechless. It was obvious he wanted to comfort Nico, but he knew that it was true.

Leo wondered what had happened to make Nico that way.

Suddenly, Percy tripped and landed into Rachel. Leo looked around. Ahead was the main path, but off to the side was a circular shaft carved from black volcanic rock.

Leo tilted his head. It smelled like cough drops.

"What is it?" Percy asked.

Rachel looked down the tunnel nervously.

"Is that the way?" Annabeth questioned.

"No. Not at all."

"Why are we stopping then?" Percy said.

"Listen," said Nico.

A cold wind drifted down the tunnel. The smell of cough drops grew stronger. Percy and Annabeth shivered, as if recalling a bad memory.

"Eucalyptus trees," Percy spoke. "Like in California."

"There's something evil down that tunnel," Rachel said. "Something very powerful."

"And the smell of death," Nico added.

Percy and Annabeth exchanged glances.

"Luke's entrance. The one to Mount Orthys - the Titans' palace."

Percy's hand drifted to his pocket. "I have to check it out."

"No!"

"Luke could be right there," Percy insisted. "Or... Or Kronos. I have to find out what's going on."

"Then we'll all go."

"Too dangerous," Percy dismissed it. "If they got a hold of Nico, or Rachel for that matter, Kronos could use them. You stay here and guard them."

"Don't, Percy," Rachel said. "Don't go up there alone."

"I'll be quick," he assured her. "I won't do anything stupid."

Annabeth bit her lip, as if she were going to protest. Then she pulled out a baseball cap out of her pocket. "At least take this. And be careful."

Percy grabbed the cap and put it on. Leo watched, amazed, as he disappeared.

"Here goes nothing," Percy's voice said, and the group worried as the sound of his footsteps grew fainter and fainter.

* * *

Annabeth nervously paced as the minutes ticked by. She muttered something under her breath, and every few seconds she looked up and stared down the tunnel.

Leo took out the compass in his pocket and watched the needle spin. Annabeth jumped at the sound of his movement and glanced at the compass.

"You make that yourself?" Annabeth asked.

"Yeah," Leo said.

"Daedalus called you a son of Hephaestus," Annabeth mused.

"Have you met him? Hephaestus, I mean."

"Yeah," Annabeth said. "He's... interesting."

Leo got the feeling she didn't really like Hephaestus that much.

"He has other children, at camp," Annabeth continued, still glancing at the tunnel.

"Other children?" Leo asked.

"Yeah, Cabin Nine. The counselor is Beckendorf - Charles Beckendorf. He's nice. You'd like him."

Leo's head spun. He had brothers. Sisters. He had a whole family he never knew about.

"What is Hephaestus the god of again?"

" God of blacksmiths and fire."

Leo bit his tongue. _God of fire__._ It felt like a sick joke, considering how his mom died.

"Do we get any special powers with that?" Leo asked casually.

"As far as I know, Hephaestus's children don't really get any powers. They're geniuses with inventions and technology, but I don't think they have any powers."

"None?" Leo asked, his heart sinking. He subconsciously rubbed his hands together.

"A long time ago, some children of Hephaestus had power over fire," Nico answered him. "But it's rare. And dangerous. The last time, Thomas Faynor started the Great Fire of London. Before that, Gertrud Albright accidentally burnt down three-quarters of Amsterdam."

Leo's hopes were shattered. He'd hoped he'd be accepted, but once again, he was the odd one out.

Annabeth stared at Nico. "Where'd you learn that?"

"I know a few children of Hephaestus," Nico added. "John Parker helped me with training a few times."

Annabeth frowned. "There's no 'John Parker' at camp."

"He died in 1822," Nico replied.

Leo remembered what Nico said, about only having the dead for company. "That's nice," he muttered.

They lapsed into an uncomfortable silence.

After a few minutes, Annabeth pulled out her bronze dagger. "That's it, I'm going after Percy."

Rachel stood up. "I'll go with you."

"Stay here," Annabeth insisted.

"We both know how Percy messes up things," Rachel shot back. "You'll need backup. Leo, Nico, you can stay -"

"No!" Nico protested. "If you go, I'll go. Percy saved my life - I owe him. I'm not just gonna let him die -"

"If Kronos catches you, he will use you," Annabeth said. "It's too risky. Same thing with you, Rachel. I'll go, I have the most experience."

"Experience means nothing against an army," Nico got to his feet. "Besides, it hasn't been that long - and Percy's not dead!"

"He could be in trouble!" Annabeth clenched her dagger.

"Percy has your invisibility cap," Nico said. "He'll be fine."

"You haven't known him for as long as I did," Annabeth sighed.

"Look," Leo began, "he defeated that one giant dude - Antaeus, right? And based on how well he did, he pulled stunts like this before, correct?"

"I... Yes." Annabeth said.

"He can take care of himself, then." Leo said.

Annabeth huffed and crossed her arms, but sat down. She clenched and unclenched her hands.

"Two minutes," she said. "Two more minutes, and then you can't stop me."

Annabeth appeared to be counting down. Nico kept looking at the tunnel and back. Rachel traced her fingers in the dirt.

Annabeth stood up again. "I'm going to go."

"Then we'll go with you," Rachel got to her feet.

"I already told you, it's too dangero-"

She was cut off by a rumbling sound and a blast of air coming from the tunnel.

"Percy!" Annabeth yelled. "I'm coming!"

She sprinted down the tunnel, the other three right at her heels.

They reached the end of the tunnel. A blast of cold air blew into Leo's face. The day was cloudy, and in the distance was a black marble fortress, built in an ancient Greek style. The four of them sprinted towards the fortress as fast as they could.

Leo panted as they reached the steps. He looked up and saw Luke from the arena, laughing as he swung around a wicked-looking scythe. His voice was cold - like the sound of metal against stone. Percy seemed to be stuck, straining to move.

"PERCY!" Rachel yelled, and threw a blue plastic hairbrush towards Luke.

"Ow!" Luke said, his voice lighter.

Percy stood up as fast as he could and ran out, tripping into Annabeth.

"Luke?" Annabeth called out, her eyes confused. "What -"

Percy grabbed her shirt and sprinted out of the fortress. The five of them had almost made it back to the Labyrinth when Luke's cold voice shouted in frustration.

"AFTER THEM!"

"No!" Nico yelled. He clapped his hands together, and a huge black rock erupted from the ground in front of the fortress. The columns collapsed and Leo thought he could hear the sounds of dogs whining.

Leo turned forward, where Percy touched a tiny scratch on the cliff wall that turned into a glowing blue triangle. The tunnel opened, and they ran in, the howls of Luke echoing throughout the mountains.

* * *

**A/N: The part about the Great London Fire does come from _The Lost Hero_. I made up the second bit, which is based on the Second Great Fire of Amsterdam (1452).**

**Once again, heavily based off of _Battle of the Labyrinth_. *sighs* I tried adding some 'unseen' bits from Leo's POV, but there's not a lot going on, considering Percy is always in the middle of the action.**

**Questions? Suggestions? Comments? Please review! (It makes me happy.)**

**-Lazuli Quetzal**


	4. The Passing of Pan

******DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN PJatO OR HoO! ANY CHARACTERS/DIALOGUE/PLOTS YOU RECOGNIZE BELONG TO RICK RIORDAN. I AM A FOURTEEN YEAR OLD GIRL PLAYING WITH FANFICTION.**

**A/N: Hey guys! I had some free time and quickly pounded this out. I'm sorry to say that there may be excessive book quoting in this one. I wanted to make it longer, but there wasn't much to add.**

**Also, thanks for the great reviews guys! Y'all are awesome!**

* * *

Leo frantically stumbled after his friends, anxious to run away from the evil in the tunnel. The group had been running for what seemed like hours. Finally, when Leo knew he couldn't take it anymore, they stopped.

"Can't... run," Rachel choked out, clutching her sides.

Leo collapsed on the ground, breathing hard. He had ran for his life before, but even the monster in the sewers was nothing compared to the evil roar of Luke.

His voice had seemed colder, _heavier_, somehow. Before, Luke was just a bad guy to him... now, he seemed different, something older than humanity.

Annabeth collapsed, her head between her knees. She had tears streaming down her face and heaved out loud, heartbroken sobs.

Percy and Nico sat down next to each other, their swords strewn on the ground. Percy was staring sadly at Annabeth, as if he didn't want to hurt her more, but knew he had to.

"That sucked," Nico muttered. Leo wholeheartedly agreed.

"You saved our lives," Percy said, staring at Nico with a pensive expression.

"Blame them for dragging me along," Nico gestured at the girls. "That's the only thing they could agree on. We needed to help you or you'd mess thins up."

"Nice that they trust me so much," Percy muttered as he flicked on his flashlight and shone it around.

Leo noticed stalactites hanging from the ceiling and absently wondered where they were.

"Nico," Percy began. "You kinda gave yourself away."

"What do you mean?"

"That wall of black stone? That was pretty impressive. If Kronos didn't know who you were before, he does now – a child of the Underworld."

"Big deal," Nice frowned as he spoke. But Leo could see the fear in his eyes.

_Kronos_, Leo thought. He tried to remember the myths. Kronos was a Titan, the main Titan.

Leo blinked.

_I toppled the black throne of Kronos, and destroyed the Titan Krios with my own hands!_ A familiar voice spoke in his head.

Leo rubbed his eyes. The lack of sleep was really getting to him.

"What... what was wrong with Luke? What did they do to him?" Annabeth asked, her voice hoarse.

Percy looked up, his expression grim.

"I'm so sorry Annabeth," he muttered. "I... I couldn't -"

"Percy. What did they do to him?"

Percy closed his eyes and shivered. "I snuck into the fortress. Some kid was there – he had an eyepatch. His name was Nakamura, or something? He was joining up with the Titans."

Annabeth looked at Percy, confused. "And?"

"They were unwrapping a scythe. Kronos' scythe. With the kid's pledge, they were saying that they would have enough loyalty to make Kronos rise, or something."

Percy took a deep breath and looked Annabeth in the eye. "His sarcophagus was there. Kronos's sarcophagus. I... I opened it."

Percy's voice sent shivers down Leo's spine. Leo had a feeling bad news was coming.

"What happened, Percy?" Annabeth asked, her voice cold, but quiet.

"The body in the coffin was Luke's."

Annabeth blinked. "I... I don't understand."

Percy closed his eyes and continued. "The kid gave his pledge to Kronos. They used his pledge to summon up the last piece of Kronos's spirit. I – I saw it enter the sarcophagus. And then Luke stood up.

"But it wasn't Luke," Percy said quietly. "It was Kronos."

The group stared at Percy in shock, barely comprehending his words.

"No," Annabeth said. "That can't be true. He couldn't -"

"He gave himself over to Kronos," Percy said. "I'm sorry Annabeth. But Luke is gone."

"No!" Annabeth was shouting now. "You saw when Rachel hit him!"

Percy nodded. "You hit the Lord of the Titans in the eye with a blue plastic hairbrush."

Rachel blushed. "It was the only thing I had."

"But you _saw,_" Annabeth insisted. "When it hit him, just for a second, he was dazed. He came back to his senses."

"So maybe Kronos wasn't completely settled in the body, or whatever," Percy said forcefully. "It doesn't mean Luke was in control."

"You _want_ him to be evil, is that it?" Annabeth screamed. "You didn't know him before, Percy. I did!"

"What is it with you?" Percy snapped. "Why do you keep defending him?"

"Whoa, you two," Rachel intervened. "Knock it off!"

Annabeth whipped her head around and glared at her. "Stay out of it, mortal girl! If it wasn't for you..."

Annabeth's voice broke. She hugged her knees closer to her and sobbed. Percy was staring emotionlessly at a pebble in front of him.

The group went silent for a bit.

"We'll have to keep moving," Nico spoke up. "He'll send monsters after us."

Leo was still burned out from their sprint, but he got to his feet. Percy helped Rachel up, and Leo hesitantly walked over to Annabeth.

"Hey," Leo said.

Annabeth glanced up, her eyes red. Her fingers were rubbing a bead on her necklace – a faded clay bead with the image of a pine tree.

"I'm sorry, Leo," Annabeth muttered. "I'm sorry you're stuck in this mess."

Leo didn't know what to say, so he just stood there awkwardly.

Percy knelt next to Annabeth. "Hey, I'm sorry. But we need to move."

"I know," Annabeth whispered. "I'm... I'm all right."

She clearly wasn't, but she got to her feet.

Once again, they would be on the move.

"Back to New York," Percy said. "Rachel, can you -" his voice died.

Leo followed his eyes. A few feet ahead, illuminated by Percy's flashlight was a hat – a Rasta cap. He vaguely remembered a conversation from earlier:

"_What about Tyson and Grover, then?"_

"_That's harder. They're not humans or half-bloods. They don't have mortal souls."_

Percy's hands shook as he grabbed the mud-covered hat. He looked like he was about to lose it.

Percy looked around and shone his flashlight to the left. Leo could see fresh footprints – huge feet, and the footsteps of a hoofed animal.

"We have to follow them," Percy said. "They went that way. It must have been recently."

"What about Camp?" Nico reminded them. "There's no time."

"We have to find them. They're our friends." Annabeth spoke up. She grabbed the smashed hat and marched off, Percy at her heels.

Rachel, after hesitating, stumbled after them. Nico and Leo exchanged a glance, then followed.

* * *

The cave was treacherous. Everything was damp and moist, making it easy to slide along the rocks. The floor sloped at weird angles. Leo almost impaled himself on a stalagmite a few times.

Finally, they reached a large cave supported by the rock columns. Ahead was an underground river. Beside the banks were two figures – a large, bulky mass cradling a smaller figure in his laps.

Leo did a double take. The smaller figure was unconscious, but his legs...

"Tyson!" Percy yelled.

"Percy!" The big figure shouted. Leo was surprised at how young the voice sounded. "Come quick!"

The group ran over, and Leo followed. He stared wide-eyed at the creature before him. His face was normal – an acne-covered face with a fuzzy goatee – but –

"Why is he a donkey?" Leo choked out.

"Goat," Annabeth supplied. "He's a satyr."

The big guy's face looked up, and Leo nearly screamed. Instead of two eyes, there was one big one – right in the middle of his head.

"Cyclops," Nico murmured, and all Leo could do was nod.

"What happened?" Percy asked worriedly.

"So many things," the Cyclops said. "Large snake. Large dogs. Men with swords. But then... we got close to here. Grover was excited. He ran. Then we reached this room, and he fell. Like this."

"Did he say anything?"

"He said, 'We're close.' Then he hit his head on rocks.

Percy knelt, his face worried but also excited. He shined his flashlight around the cavern.

Leo sucked in a breath. He didn't notice it before, but at the far end was an entrance to another cave, framed by giant columns made of what seemed like solid diamonds.

"Grover, _wake up_."

"Uhhhhhhhh..." the unconscious figure moaned.

Annabeth scooped up some water and splashed it onto his face.

The satyr spluttered and sat up. "Percy? Annabeth? Where..."

"It's okay," Percy said. "You passed out. The presence was too much for you."

"I – I remember. _Pan_."

"Yeah," Percy said, and they all glanced to the entrance ahead. "Something powerful is beyond that doorway."

* * *

There were some rushed introductions, as they introduced Leo and Rachel to Tyson and Grover. Once Leo got over his shock, he said a polite greeting to the satyr and the cyclops. Annabeth seemed like she was going to explode when Tyson called Rachel 'pretty'.

Leo thought it was pretty funny.

Once the introduction was over, Percy and Annabeth helped Grover to his feet and they began to cross the river.

The water was cold. Leo shivered – he was not a fan of water or the cold. They made it to the other side safely. He absently noted that Percy and Tyson were the only ones completely dry.

"I think we're in Carlsbad Caverns," Annabeth said through her chattering teeth. "Maybe an unexplored section."

"How do you know?"

"Carlsbad is in New Mexico. That would explain last winter."

Leo didn't know what they were talking about, but he still didn't know how they ran from California to New Mexico in less than two hours. He decided to stop thinking about it.

They walked ahead, towards the crystals. As they drew closer, Leo could feel his weariness rubbing away. There was a new spring in his step, a liveliness that he hadn't felt in all the years in foster homes and orphanages.

Grover whimpered. Leo glanced over and saw his eyes shining brightly. He was excited.

Nobody spoke. Even Nico was quiet. Finally, they stepped into the cave, and Rachel said, "Oh, wow."

'Oh wow' was right. A warm glow illuminated the room. The cave was loaded with crystals – large, radiant gems in every color. Soft green moss covered the floor, and giant flowers and vines crept among the crystals. The ceiling was up high and sparkled like a clear night sky.

In the center of the cave was an old-style bed – gilded wood and intricate designs. Surrounding the bed were a strange collection of animals – a wooly mammoth, what seemed to be a giant guinea pig, a wolf-tiger hybrid, and a dodo bird Leo could've sworn was humming.

On the was an old man – or satyr, Leo supposed. He had large glossy horns and a frosty white beard – even his goat fur was tinged with gray. A collection of pipes hung around his neck.

Grover stumbled forwards and fell to his knees. "Lord Pan!"

Leo, Nico, Rachel, Annabeth, and Tyson followed his example.

The satyr smiled, though his eyes were sad. "Grover, my dear, brave satyr. I have waited a very long time for you."

"I... got lost," Grover stammered out.

Pan laughed. His laugh was wonderful – a calming sound that echoed throughout the cavern, filling the demigods with hope.

The dodo bird affectionately nipped the god's hooves. The wolf-tiger rested his head on Pan's knee.

Percy seemed to shake off his awe and kneeled down. "You have a humming dodo bird."

Pan's eyes twinkled. "Yes, that's Dede. My little actress."

Dede the dodo tilted her head a hummed what sounded like a funeral song.

"This is the most beautiful place," Annabeth breathed out. "Better than any building ever designed!"

"I'm glad you like it, my dear," Pan said. "It is one of the last wild places. My realm above is gone, I'm afraid. Only pockets remain. Tiny pieces of life. This one shall stay undisturbed... for a little longer."

"My lord," Grover said, "please, you must come back with me! The Elders will never believe it! They'll be overjoyed! You can save the Wild!"

Pan ruffled Grover's hair. "You are so young, Grover. So good and true. I think I chose well."

"Chose?" Grover asked, echoing Leo's confusion. "I – I don't understand."

Pan's image flickered, like a hologram. The giant guinea pig squealed fearfully, and the wooly mammoth grunted. Dede hid her head under her wing.

"I have slept many eons," The god said. "My dreams have been dark. I wake fitfully, and each time my waking is shorter. Now we are near the end."

"What? But no! You're right here!"

"My dear satyr," Pan continued. "I tried to tell the world, two thousand years ago. I announced it to Lysas, a satyr very much like you. He lived in Ephesos, and tried to spread the word."

Annabeth's eyes widened. "The old story. A sailor passing by the coast of Ephesos heard a voice crying from the shore, 'Tell them that the great god Pan is dead.'"

"But it wasn't true!"

"Your kind never believed it," Pan said. "You sweet, stubborn satyrs refused to accept my passing. And I love you for that, but you only delayed the inevitable. You only prolonged my long, painful passing, my dark twilight sleep. It must end."

"No," Grover said, his voice trembling.

"Dear Grover," Pan said. "You must accept the truth. Your companion, Nico, he understands."

Nico nodded. "He's dying. He should have died long ago. This... this is more like a memory."

"But gods can't die!" Grover insisted, tears leaking out of his eyes.

"They can fade," Pan said sadly. "When everything they stood for is gone. When they cease to have power, and their sacred places disappear. The wild, my dear Grover, is so small now, so _shattered_, that no god can save it. My realm is gone. That is why I need you to carry a message. You must go back to the council. You must tell the satyrs, and the dryads, and the other spirits of nature, that the great god Pan _is _dead. Tell them of my passing. Because they must stop waiting for me to save them. I cannot. The only salvation you must make is yourself. Each of you must -"

Pan glanced at the dodo bird, who was humming.

"Dede, what are you doing? Are you singing _Kumbaya_ again?"

Dede blinked.

Pan sighed. "Everybody's a cynic. But as I was saying, my dear Grover, each of you must take up my calling."

Grover whimpered. "But... no!"

"Be strong," Pan spoke. "You have found me, and now you must release me. You must carry on my spirit. It can no longer be carried by a god. It must be taken up by all of you."

Pan looked at the demigods and the mortal, and Leo realized that it wasn't just Grover or the satyrs. He meant half-bloods, humans... everyone.

"Percy Jackson. I know what you have seen today. I know your doubts, But I give you this news: when the time comes, you will not be ruled by fear."

He turned to Annabeth. "Daughter of Athena, your time is coming. You will play a great role, though it may not be the role you imagined."

Then Pan looked at Tyson. "Master Cyclops, do not despair. Heroes rarely live up to our expectations. But you, Tyson – your name shall live among the Cyclopes for generations. And Miss Rachel Dare..."

Rachel flinched. She looked at the ground guiltily, but Pan smiled warmly. "I know you believe you cannot make amends, but you are just as important as your father."

"I..." Rachel muttered, a tear tracing her teeth.

"I know you don't believe this now, but look for opportunities. They will come."

Then Pan turned to Leo. Leo hesitantly met his gaze, and he felt all his nervousness wash away.

Pan tilted his head. "This was unforseen," he began. "But you too, have a role. You will be confused, feel insecure... but remember, son of Hephaestus, that your friends care for you. You are no third wheel. I hope you choose wisely when your time comes."

Leo blinked. What did that even mean? He could see the others' faces out of the corners of his eyes, and they seemed confused too.

Finally, Pan turned to Grover. "My dear satyr," he said kindly, "will you carry my message?"

"I – I can't," Grover whispered, shaking.

"You can. You are the strongest and bravest. Your heart is true. You have believed in me more than anyone ever has, which is why you must be the first to release me."

"I don't want to," Grover sniffled.

"I know," the god said. "But my name, _Pan..._ originally it meant _rustic_. Did you know that? But over the years, it has come to mean _all_. The spirit of the wild must pass to all of you now. You must tell each one you meet: if you would find Pan, take up Pan's spirit. Remake the Wild, a little at a time, each in your own corner of the world. You cannot wait for anyone else, even a god, to do that for you."

Grover wiped his eyes. Then he shakily got to his feet. "I've spent my whole life looking for you. Now... I release you."

Pan gave a bittersweet smile. "Thank you, my dear satyr. My final blessing." He closed his eyes. The god looked so peaceful, as if he were only asleep. He dissolved slowly, fading into a white mist. The mist expanded and filled the room, and divided into wisps of energy. A curl of smoke went into Leo's mouth and everyone else's.

Leo closed his eyes, the smoke filling him with clean energy, as if he had a good night's rest and a healthy meal.

When Leo opened his eyes, the cavern was a little dimmer. The animals looked sadly at him, before crumbling into dust. The vines withered away, and then the light faded completely. Soon, they were alone in a dark cave with an empty bed.

Leo pulled his flashlight out of his pocket and switched it on.

Grover seemed shaky – but stronger, somehow. His eyes were still red from crying, but his expression was a calm sort of sadness.

"Are... are you okay?" Percy asked quietly.

Grover was silent. He reached for the hat from Annabeth and put it onto his head.

"We should go now." He said, his eyes lingering on the bed where Pan once lay. "And... and tell them. Tell them that the great god Pan is dead."

* * *

**A/N: Fun fact: I actually kinda wanted to put Piper into the Labyrinth, maybe not being able to take it anymore and running from her dad and ending up in the story a few books early. However, the storyline wasn't very logical and I couldn't see much coming out of it in between books because at some point in this plot her dad has to get kidnapped. Her rapid introduction to being a demigod, especially at such a stressful time in her life at the beginning of _The Lost Hero_ was what made her such an interesting character to me. I didn't want to take that away.**

**Leo was my first choice for this story. In _The Lost Hero_, it showed Leo's fears and confusion quite well. But he'd been carrying his baggage since he was seven. I figured those emotions would be present, no matter what age he was introduced to present-day Greek Mythology.**

**Anyways, thanks for the great reviews guys! I didn't like this chapter that much, so any constructive criticism and suggestions will be especially appreciated!**

**A lot of you guys like the storyline of this fic! If you ever feel like writing a story based on this plot or something, let me know! I'd love to see how you execute it and you guys may have some ideas that I didn't come up with. I won't be mad, I promise.**

**As always, reviews are appreciated. Sorry for the long author's note, guys.**

**-Lazuli Quetzal**


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